I think the whole family should eat healthy. Right? Because I tell you, if it's in the house, it tempts me My husband is the biggest offender. He doesn't understand that we all don't share his self discipline. I am trying to get him to get off diet soda, but drinking water is a foreign concept to him.
If only it were that easy! Unfortunately at the end of the day it's still your journey and your discipline - at the very least he's drinking diet soda instead of regular!
Yes, and no. You have to pick your battles. There are worse things to worry about than diet soda. Heck, I still drink it.... and otherwise I'm a food ****. We all have our vices.
When I started this journey, 6 years ago, my husband was packing away a whole box of cookies a night... and in true man form, not gaining an ounce. Now, it's catching up to him and he's finally taking my advice and getting healthy. It takes time! All you can do is set a good example and hope they're willing to follow.
My husband and I are both on health and weight loss journeys (with similar amounts of weight to lose), but we are NOT on similar food plans.
If we had to keep all of my problem foods and all of his problem foods out of the house, there wouldn't be a lot left for us to eat except nonstarchy veggies (and since hubby doesn't eat much of those, he'd starve completely).
Most of the foods he eats are my problem foods. I've got to let the poor guy eat something.
Seriously though, we do keep some foods out of the house to help each other, but not many. Some of my hubby's problem foods are my "sanity saving" treats, and vice versa.
We've compromised by sorting the pantry into bins. The "eat as much as you want" healthy snacks foods and snacks are either out on the shelves, or in clear bings and we both can eat them as we wish. The rest of the bins are opaque (so we can read the label, but not see into it - this is for things like protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, pastas.... the things that are easy to overeat if not planned for). This really helps shortcircuits impulse eating. If we're just bored, the snacks that are the most visible are things like kale chips, seaweed chips, sugar free gum...
We also each have a "treat" bin that the other isn't supposed to even look in (we do allow ourselves to ask the other "I'm really craving some chocolate, do you happen to have any that you'd be willing to share.)
We have instituted a "fend-for-yourself" policy, so we rarely eat meals together, and when we do plan a joint meal, we make sure it's something we both are interested in eating.
We really had to get out of each other's food plan. It was far too stressful to try to control our own eating while controlling the other person's.
It was difficult to persuade hubby to keep some fooods out of my sight, but he's got it now. He doesn't eat some things right under my nose, and I do know they're in the house, but I also know that they're in "his" bin, and I've learned to "respect the bin."
Very true! One of my kids has high bp, he needs to lose weight for his health, and yet I find my husband buying Cheetos and making cookies, and I want to scream, we've been round and round on this
Completely agree and trust me my kids are not happy but they will live !
I have 3 boys my oldest & youngest are the Choc-chip kids .. but Its a good thing I have my middle son Veggie Boy he REALLY Helps me alot .
Sorry ladies, but I don't believe that just because I'm on a diet that my hubby needs to be on one too. He's just a naturally thin kind of guy & loves his snacks. Why should he be deprived because I want to lose weight?
Plus I need to learn to eat things in moderation. This isn't just losing a few pounds only to put it back on when I'm done "dieting". I'm changing my life style, losing weight & going to keep it off. I still have snacks & goodies. In fact I eat ice cream 3-4 times a week. But I watch my portions & build it into my calories.
However, my husband has been very supportive of my weight loss attempt & has been the one to find the light ice cream that we both love & the light bread that lets me have bread again!
I kind of feel the same way about not denying the snacks to those who don't have to worry about weight, but I also think that since we share this space, my family should have some consideration.
I've told this story many times on this message board, so bear with me if you've seen it before. When I first started dieting, I was doing this diet that is not allowed to be mentioned here by name, but it involved a hormone and a very low calorie diet, and a very restrictive one at that. My husband went from rarely going to the store to buy junk to making twice weekly trips. It was really hard, and the constant treats and people munching around me got to me after several weeks. Finally I pointed out to my husband that he was going to the store an awful lot, way more than he used to. I honestly don't think he realized he was doing it.
I had to basically lay down some ground rules to protect my sanity. I asked my husband to make fewer junk food trips and that he try to only bring home things which I'm not interested in. They certainly won't be deprived if they eat BBQ potato chips and Chips Ahoy cookies instead of sour cream and onion potato chips and powdered gem donuts. Then I asked that all junk items be kept up high or down low, not at (my) eye level in the pantry. Then I told them that if the food is important enough, it should be put away and not left out. Anything left out will be put in the trash without warning. And then I followed through.
It's easier now that I'm not on that strict diet and have more food choices, and even enjoy some of the junk now and then. However, I still ask that they be considerate and follow those same rules... not eye level, limit the type, and put it away.
BTW, I won't buy junk but for special occasions. I bring in healthy snacks. It won't kill them if their only snack option is an apple. My husband continues to be the junk supplier.
I prefer to have healthy snacks around for the kids to choose, but the house is not completely devoid of snacky snacks...I just try my best to avoid them!
My husband is on a candy bar kick right now. I can not change him, I can only change myself and love him even when I know he is eating them.
My fiance and I are cutting calories and getting healthier. We still buy the kids their snacks, but we also have implemented more fruit as well. The kids see us making better choices so they are making better choices too.
I'm in two minds about it. One the one hand, my kids and dh should be eating a healthy diet for their own sake, not because I'm trying to improve my diet and lose weight. On the other hand, they're growing kids and a 6' man who runs and bikes a lot. They need more calories than I do, and the kids especially don't have the patience to eat the volume of raw veggies/salads that I do to get calories.
We've worked out something of a compromise. Dh keeps his chocolate stash in his basement office. Out of sight, out of mind for me, most of the time. I still make cookies and muffins for them, but store them on top of the fridge. I'm short and the fridge is tall, so the out of sight thing still works. I also put half of each batch in the freezer so they're all more likely to see how many cookies are left and eat them in moderation rather than thinking there's a mountain of cookies so let's dig in. I don't buy chips, but I do make them air popped popcorn with butter and salt a couple of times per week.
But, I still make fresh whole wheat bread and biscuits for them and just have to force myself to moderate my intake. I still make pasta and pizza for dinner and just measure my portion and fill out my meal with veggies. Same with potatoes.
I don't buy pop/soda as a rule. Dh gave it up years ago. Every month or so I buy myself some diet coke. The kids sometimes buy themselves a couple of cans with their allowance. It's not tempting to me anyway since it's way too sweet, but it doesn't stay in the house long anyway.
I gotta say, I don't know how you people with families or unsupportive partners cope with having lots of food in the house. My husband is so great about eating whatever I bring home and not complaining. I have no kids, so I don't have to worry about having food that anyone else needs/likes other than me. In fact, I was having problems a couple months ago and had to purge almost everything that could be used in a binge (butter, sugar, etc.) and DH didn't complain once.
Hats off to those of you who can have tempting things in the house and not give in!
My boys and hubby can pretty much eat anything and no worries. Me on the other hand eat separate from them and I admit it's tough on the days I wanna binge. It would be easier for me without the junk food in my house and I've cut down on buying it. Don't wanna deprive them because I'm the one with the problem. I do buy a bunch of fruit tho and I'm thankful ythat they eat that with me. That's my sugar fix on my good days.
If there is food temptations in my house, I'll probably eat them. That's why I do my best not to have anything there that tempts me. I have been trying to buy more fruit this past week also and it seems to help some.
There are food temptations everywhere and I just feel I need to focus on my own issues and learn how to deal with the food around me. My husband and 20 year old daughter are both naturally thin and they both have great gauges when it comes to portion sizes. I don't feel it's my place to tell them what and how to eat. As I'm learning the benefits to eating healthy I do wish they would too but realistically it's their bodies and what they put in them is totally up to them.
If I am eating healthier
My husband is the biggest offender. He doesn't understand that we all don't share his self discipline. I am trying to get him to get off diet soda, but drinking water is a foreign concept to him.
Unfortunately at the end of the day it's still your journey and your discipline - at the very least he's drinking diet soda instead of regular!
